Bihar DGP Gupteshwar Pandey, IPS, has made news, pretty much in most contexts. Though lately it's been TV interviews in relation to the investigation of Sushant Singh Rajput case. Ever since the Bihar Police initiated the probe, the IPS officer has been heard challenging the alleged culprits, updating the general public on news channels and social media.
Now, Bihar's DGP is like to run in the upcoming state Assembly polls. Pandey has also taken voluntary retirement from the services and his request for VRS was approved by Governor Phagu Chauhan. Sanjiv Kumar Singhal, the Director-General of Civil Defence and Fire Services, has been given the additional charge of DGP Bihar till further orders.
From IPS officer to MP
Having finally got the poll ticket from Bihar, the DGP is an interesting example of 'been there, couldn't do it, back to trying again'. Pandey took voluntary retirement in 2009 to contest Lok Sabha election on a BJP ticket. Confident of getting a BJP ticket, he resigned from the IPS, but the other candidate in the fray for the ticket Lalmuni Choubey.
An ordinary person would regret having lost the only bird in the hand in the hope of two in the bush. Not Gupteshwar Pandey. He requested the then Nitish Kumar-led government to allow him to withdraw his resignation and interestingly Pandey was back, reinstated and serving as the Bihar DGP again before the Lok Sabha elections.
At the center of controversies
The 1987 batch IPS officer of Bihar cadre has also been on both sides of the fence of a crime. As an investigator and as an alleged culprit. Many years, before he took over the nationally debated Sushant Singh Rajput case as a DGP, Pandey was questioned by the CBI in the equally reported case of abduction of 12-year-old girl Navruna Chakravarti from Muzaffarpur.
Pandey being the then Inspector General of Muzaffarpur zone was accused by the girl's father of being connivance with those who abducted their daughter and wanted to grab their land in Muzaffarpur. The 2012 case is yet to find closure, despite the probe being taken over by CBI and monitored by Supreme Court. A staunch BJP loyalist, a section of the social media is lobbying for his transfer before Bihar polls in the interest of fair elections.
